Changing Attitudes to Violence among Particular Sri Lankan Buddhists

This study examines the historical and ideological transformation of attitudes towards violence within Sri Lankan Buddhism, challenging the conventional perception of Buddhism as a uniformly non-violent tradition. While early Buddhist teachings strongly emphasized ahiṃsā (non-violence) as a central ethical principle, this paper argues that significant shifts occurred over time, particularly through myth, political association, and socio-religious developments. By drawing on both canonical texts and post-canonical literature such as chronicles, commentaries, and myths, the study highlights how the image of the Buddha and Buddhist ethics were reinterpreted to accommodate changing historical realities. The research situates the origins of Buddhist non-violence within the broader context of ancient North India, a period marked by intense warfare and socio-political upheaval. The teachings of the Buddha and Mahāvīra are interpreted as reactions to these violent conditions. However, in the Sri Lankan context, evolving relationships between the Buddhist sangha and political authority, along with external religious and military pressures, contributed to a gradual reinterpretation of non-violence. Particular attention is given to mythological narratives, such as the Buddha’s encounters with the yakkhas, the origin of the Sinhala dynasty, and the story of Duttagāmani. These narratives function as symbolic mediators of contradiction, transforming violence into a morally justified or even necessary act under certain circumstances. Such reinterpretations facilitated the emergence of a distinction between “good” and “bad” violence, thereby enabling a reconciliation between the Buddhist ethical ideals and the practical demands of statecraft. The accommodation of violence, though not universally accepted, represents a significant ideological shift with enduring implications, including its influence on contemporary socio-political attitudes toward religion and conflict.